The need exists for an efficient furnace system which may be used to melt scrap metal for reuse, as desired. However, the most commonly used previously proposed furnace systems for melting scrap, particularly non-ferrous metal scrap, are not particularly efficient because they require preheating of the scrap in a particular container at one location and then moving the preheated scrap and transfer thereof into another container for melting.
Recently, another consideration which has been introduced in the processing of scrap metal is the comparative scarcity and high cost of fuel making it necessary that a melting furnace, or the like, be operated more efficiently. Heretofore, the relatively low cost of fuel for a furnace made it uneconomical to employ more sophisticated devices or techniques in an effort to reduce operating costs whereby previously proposed furnace systems were not particularly efficient because they did not operate at maximum fuel economy.
One solution to the operation of a furnace in a more efficient manner is the utilization of some form of device to extract heat from the hot gases discharged from the furnace and employing such heat for one or more purposes in connection with the operation of such furnace; and, devices commonly referred to as recuperators have been proposed heretofore for preheating combustion air to the furnace.
It has also been proposed in connection with smelting furnaces having a plurality of chambers, to heat and melt a charge of material in a melting chamber and convey the hot exhaust gases from the melting chamber to another chamber for the purpose of preheating another charge of material.
Therefore, the need exists for an efficient furnace system which among other uses may be employed to melt scrap metal and which overcomes many of the inefficiencies and problems of previously proposed furnace systems.